The Monster Trio
by Kiarene
Summary: The relationships of the Pirate King's crew are complex, and yet straightforward.
1. Chapter 1

**The Monster Trio**

**\- 1 -**

The pirates gathered wait impatiently, clothes rustling, blades and various weapons clinking and rattling. The room is large, cavernous even, but no room is quite big enough to contain the pirates that have come for the meeting. Pirates are by nature bloodthirsty creatures that hunt in small packs known as crews.

Heavy doors bang open, and the Pirate King strides in, the heavy cloth of his red coat rippling around his calves. Luffy's body is lanky, his face boyish, his eyes wide but serious. Black hair stuck out wildly from under his trademark straw hat. Instead of his usual vest and cut-offs, he wears a heavy coat with gold trimmings, buttoned all the way up. His slippers flap incongruously as he walks.

The King is flanked by his lieutenants. To his right, as always, walks his first mate, the Greatest Swordsman. Zoro is a tall, broad-shouldered presence. His left eye was lost a long time ago, but it is of no matter as he always stands on his king's right. His maroon robe is open in the front, revealing a muscled torso criss-crossed with scars. Three swords are slung through a green haramaki.

To Luffy's left, the King's Cook, Blackleg Sanji. He is sharply dressed, in a gold top and crimson pants. In contrast to the heavy stillness of the First mate, the tall blond exudes a barely suppressed power. His fiery temper is as legendary as his cooking. A fall of gold hair hides the right eye, and under a curled brow, his left eye is rumored to be the same color as All-Blue.

There are rumors about the symmetry of the King's lieutenants' eyes.

Lesser pirates may sneer at the thought of the Pirate King's _cook_ as the third apex of the Monster Trio - the King's appetite is legendary - but those who _know _shudder. There are very good reasons why Blackleg is part of the Pirate Triumvirate. He is perhaps even the most important member, though only very few know that.

There is an enormous table in the middle of the room, and at its head, a large wooden chair. Select pirate captains are offered seats at the table, the rest have to stand a distance back.

Luffy folds lanky legs in the large chair. Seated crosslegged, all skinny limbs and boyish face, he doesn't quite look like royalty, much less the Pirate King. Until he _shifts_, his infamous strawhat darkening his eyes. His entire demeanor changes and everyone is again reminded just how this _boyo _earned his title. "Let's begin."

Zoro stands slightly back, just behind the King's chair. Like a bodyguard - others call him the King's trained dog - he stands, arms loosely crossed, his remaining eye alert.

Sanji, on the other hand, stands slightly in front of the King's chair. It is he who reaches forward and unrolls the map on the table with a snap. If Zoro has the King's back, it is he who is the King's front.

"The revolutionaries have taken Bouma. They march steadily towards Mariejois." Shanks speaks up first, one of the four Emperors and the only one who came to the meeting. His words are noticeably neutral. The redhaired man is the only Emperor friendly to the Pirate King, and who would bother to show up when he calls.

"Peh. They took a huge loss as well. They lost as much as they gained, a stalemate."

"So why the fuck are we here?"

"We are here because of the revolutionaries."

"What, they want our help? Why the hell for?"

"The enemy of our enemy is our ally!"

"I have no love for the Marines or World Government, but neither do I have any regard for the revolutionaries. I say we ignore them."

"I second that."

"...what 'e said."

One by one, the various captains around the table voice their opinions.

The Pirate King shakes his head. "We cannot ignore them. We cannot afford to ignore them."

The room falls silent. Luffy looks to Sanji, who steps up.

"We are hemmed on all sides, our freedom to sail where we would impeded. Where do we get our food from? With whom do we trade with? We are pirates, not farmers." Sanji lit a cigar and blew out a lungful of smoke. He looks around that the room. "Years ago, when it was still petty skirmishes between those two, we could have ignored them. Not now."

He leans forward and taps the map. It is mostly colored in blue and green. Areas of red speckled the map, and some areas are pink.

"Blue for the Marines and green for the revolutionaries. The only areas, sizable areas, where we control, are under the Emperors. These are in red. The areas who are neutral to us are in pink. Ladies and shitty bastards, while we were once free to roam _anywhere_, look at how much our freedom has shrunk by."

A few bristled at his words but most were staring gloomily at the map.

Shanks claps slowly. A gleam of approval in his eyes. "So, what now?"

"We can ally with the revolutionaries-"

A chorus of protests drowns Sanji's words. When the blond glares, the protests fade to a discontent grumbling.

"Or we can carve out our own territories. Bottom line is: we need to make a choice." With that, Sanji finally steps back.

Immediately the room breaks out into arguments. About half the room is for establishing their own territories, the other half arguing that it would take too long against the combined might of either the marines or the revolutionaries. Either way, alliances are required. Pirates are fiercely independent and cannot abide the thought of allying with the revolutionaries or even themselves.

Luffy watches, eyes intent under the shadowed brim of his hat. Sanji looks bored as he smokes, and Zoro simply stands. None of them offer any comment.

Shanks watches the trio, and the room.

Perhaps an hour passes. Suddenly, Luffy stands up, apropos of nothing. The noise level in the room drops.

"I'm hungry. Sanji, food!" Luffy turns towards his cook.

At this point, Zoro speaks up for the first time, his voice low and terrible. He had been so silent and still throughout the meeting that some had forgotten that he was there. Now, his presence is felt as he exerts his haki, a heavy blanket in the room. "We're leaving."

Sanji chuckles, light and yet menacing. "Try to come to a consensus by tomorrow, you shitty bastards. Don't waste our time."

Shanks stands up and stretches. He joins the trio as they walk out, leaving the room behind in stunned silence.

"That was wonderful and terrible," Shanks murmurs when they left the room.

"Right? We were wonderfully, terribly assholic." Sanji laughs. "And why are you following us?"

"How can I resist your cooking?" Shanks turns to look at the blond with a big grin.

"Sanji's food is the best!" Luffy declares.

Sanji whips out a baby den den mushi. "Nami-san! Usopp!"

"Right!" The others could hear her voice over the little snail.

At Shanks' questioning look, Sanji explains as he pockets his den den mushi. "We knew the meeting will be long and that Luffy couldn't last, so we figured why bother? You know Luffy."

"Food…" Luffy is starting to drool.

At this point, a red-haired woman and long-nosed man joins them. "So when he gets hungry, we'll go in to wrap up."

Sanji exchanges a high-five with Usopp and gives Nami an adoring look.

The King's Navigator, and sometimes Cat Burglar, is dressed in an obscenely short red skirt and matching red long-sleeved and low scooped top. Her orange hair cascades in curls down her back.

Usopp's lips curl in derision. "Good job. The great Captain Usopp will handle it from here!" At a sharp jab to his side, he adds with a pained hiss, "and the great Nami too…"

The King's Sniper is fancily dressed in a purple top with gold buttons, and lavender pantaloons. It is rather flamboyant for someone who is supposed be the crew's hidden weapon, but eccentricities are allowed, even expected, of the Pirate King's crew.

The two enter the meeting room. The arguing voices inside pause at the appearance of another two of the Pirate King's crew. Feared not for their strength, like the Monster Trio, but for their wiles. The more astute pirates will realize that _this_ is when the real meeting starts.


	2. Chapter 2

**\- 2 -**

Meanwhile, Sanji leads the men down a few corridors, left, right, left, left again, until they arrive at the kitchen.

Pirates are meant to roam. The Pirate King's palace was to be only temporary, a meeting place for pirates in this time of turmoil, but the King's Shipwright tends to go overboard. A 'meeting house', as specified by Luffy, became a palace, with three storeys, three basements, four towers, cannon turrets and a moat. A waterslide spirals down one tower into the moat. A huge canal allows ships to sail in from the sea right up to dock at the palace.

The kitchen is as well-stocked as any professional kitchen. On the other side, facing a large window that overlooks the bay, is a table big enough to seat a dozen. Shanks and Zoro take their seats facing the view while Luffy throws off his heavy coat and flops bonelessly in a chair.

"Saanjiiii~ I'm so hungry~~" Gone is the imposing Pirate King, leaving a lanky man with a straw hat and distressed eyes.

Sanji picks up the discarded coat with a frown. "Luffy, what did I say about taking care of your clothes?" He flicks the coat and hangs it neatly on a row of hooks beside the door.

"Sorry Sanji." Luffy doesn't sound very sorry at all. "Feed me?"

Sanji reaches into a glass jar and tosses him a cookie. He takes off his own black coat and hangs it up. Then he rolls back his sleeves and ties on an apron.

Shanks watches the interaction between the Pirate King and his cook as Sanji cooks. Luffy regresses back to the boy he knew, grinning and silly. While being the Pirate King is Luffy's dream, Shanks realizes that the weight of the position sits heavily on the young man's shoulders and that Luffy wants to be taken care of sometimes.

And Sanji does that.

"Did I do it properly Sanji? Like how you and Nami said?"

"Yup, you did good." Sanji smiles sunnily, his visible eye crinkling.

"Yay!" Luffy cheers. "So you're going to make me roasted meat like you promised right? And a cake?"

"Mm-hm. A whole haunch. And a cake." Deft hands pinch off herbs and sprinkle spices, carry a huge cast iron pot one-handed as if it weighed nothing.

"What flavor is it, huh, Sanji?"

Sanji turns to grin at Luffy. "It will be a surprise."

Luffy's eye grows round. "Oooh… a mystery cake…."

"Your cook takes good care of Luffy," Shanks murmurs in a low voice to Zoro.

Zoro smiles a little. "Not just Luffy."

Shanks looks at him, raising a brow. "Oh? You don't seem to be the type to need… " He cocks his head, indicating the domestic scene.

"Different needs," Zoro answers quietly.

Shanks nods, curious now.

"Are you cooking, Sanji?" A distinctive panda hat peeks into the room.

Luffy turns his head. "Law! You're here- and Marco too! Come in come in! Sanji, food for two more!"

The two men wander in, faces turned dreamily towards the cook.

"Oi oi, don't go inviting strays you shitty captain. Who's the one doing the hard work, eh?" Sanji's grin belies his harsh words. "All right, have a seat, you bastards."

The first dishes appear, crusts of bread with chunky tomatoes and feta and other things. The food cuts off any further train of thought as all attention is now on the splendid food. Sanji prepares what he calls 'a light snack' as it is neither lunch nor dinner, but the food is perfectly portioned to the three pirates' tastes. Cold cuts and chowder follow next. Hearty and savory, yet not too heavy that they feel sleepy after. A platter of onigiri, tightly wrapped. Zoro's eyes light up at that and he takes thirds and fourths. A roast for Luffy. Coffee for the rest.

The food is simple and yet invigorating. Dulled by the meeting, the men feel their energy returning, their senses sharpening.

Sanji is effortlessly quick and attentive; he keeps the food coming, and yet he still manages to sit with them to eat.

Not for the first time, Shanks wonders about Sanji's food. "Do you add or _do _something when you cook? Seriously. No other meal tastes or _feels_ like yours…"

Sanji flashes a quick grin while Luffy laughs. "Hah! It's Sanji's mystery food!"

"It's Battle Cuisine, right?" Law nods knowledgeably.

"Ah. So that why it reminds me of that meal Ivankov cooked for us." Shanks slaps a fist into a palm. "But, hmm, yours is slightly different. It's…" He searches for the words even as his tongue chases flavors around his mouth. "Familiar. Comforting."

"Rejuvenating," Marco adds.

"Hah. That shitty okama is too damn flashy, even his food," Sanji scoffs. "Yeah, I use a hint of Battle Cuisine recipes in my everyday cooking. No need to go overboard. You won't be experiencing anything dramatic with this food. Think of it as… hm… Comfort Cuisine."

"That sounds stupid," Zoro injects.

"But you should try his Attack Cuisine just before a fight," Luffy confides. "It's a real blast."

"Is that your secret Luffy?" Law asks slyly.

The three Strawhats only give a collective smirk.

"Can I somehow entice you away from Luffy?" Shanks begs. Luffy actually growls at him.

"Can I send my cooks to learn from you?" Marco asks plaintively. He actually holds his soup bowl up and licks it clean.

"Sure. But I must warn you, it took me two years of training in _hell_ to learn this… Rest assure I will pass on the knowledge _similarly_…" Sanji grins demonically. In contrast, Zoro looks almost relaxed, the tense aura around him gone, as the first mate savors the heavenly food.

"I don't care," the three captains say simultaneously, even as they reach for more food.

"Where's the rest of your crew? I saw your navigator and sniper going into the meeting…" Shanks asks in between bites.

"Robin and Franky are involved with the defenses, and Chopper is doing inventory," Zoro says, not mentioning their locations.

In fact, Robin and Franky are currently down in the basement, in the control room. With a meeting of so many pirates, security is high. Not just from marines, but also from the pirates themselves. Franky is keeping a keen eye on the screens that monitor the palace, and Robin has her real eyes closed as she keeps other eyes and ears out.

Shanks nods. As he finishes his beer, he gives a loud burp. Somehow, he feels really happy. "Damn, that was really good food. All right, I best be going back to my ship. See you guys tomorrow."

The two other captains make their excuses as well, both well-fed and pleased.

As Shanks leaves, he just happens to glance back. Luffy is busy cleaning the last bits of meat of his bone, and Sanji starts to clear the dishes. Zoro stands up too. He slips behind the cook and wraps brawny arms around the slim form.

Ah, the red-haired pirate smirks. Different needs indeed.

Dinner that night is late, and the mood, tense.

"Luffy's in a mood tonight," Nami mentions to Sanji as she hands him the rest of the dishes.

Sanji steals a look out at the dining room, where Luffy is eating a slice of cake cake. Normally, Luffy would have inhaled it; now he is merely munching away, hardly tasting the dessert. "We all are."

It's a horrid kind of tenseness because there is nothing they could do, but wait. Things are happening, things they don't want to be a part of - they are pirates, not politicians - but they have no choice. And Luffy, his character the least suited for this type of warfare, is mired in the center.

"Don't worry about it Nami," Sanji tells her kindly. "I'll take care of him. We will."

Nami knows Sanji is talking about Zoro and himself, not the crew. They are extremely close, the first division of the Strawhats, but Luffy, Zoro and Sanji form an especially close-knit trinity because of the difference in power between the trio and the rest of the crew.

She wraps her arms around him, leaning her head against his broad chest. Strange, she knows this chest well, knows its strength and warmth, yet she is always surprised by how big he is compared to her every time. Sanji always seems slim. She supposes it's because she often sees Sanji standing next to Zoro and the swordsman is huge.

"I wish I could do more… that we all could do more," she murmurs. "We are his crew after all."

Sanji's arms envelope her in a warm circle, comforting and familiar. Dependable. Zoro is strong, but to her, Sanji is their crew's bedrock. The first time she met Sanji, the blond had declared his intention to protect her. Through the years, he has done that and more.

"I love you," she murmurs. She is not in love with him, but she loves him in the way she thinks he does when he says he loves women. She wants to make him happy, in return for the warmness and happiness every time she feels when she is with him. Nami supposes that is love, of a sorts.

Sanji merely kisses the top of her head, and Nami sighs. Strange, how circumstances change. He was always chasing her, declaring his love loudly. Now, she could only look upon his broad back, trying to keep up as Sanji and Zoro and Luffy stride further and further away.


End file.
